'Frescobaldi per Il Sociale' Introduces Olive Oil Production Program in Florence Prison

Share Article

Following the Success of the Gorgona Penitentiary Winemaking Program, Frescobaldi Launches New Program at Sollicciano Prison to Teach Inmates How to Produce Olive Oil

Florence, Italy (PRWEB)March 16, 2016

Frescobaldi Toscana announces the expansion of its philanthropy program, “Frescobaldi per il Sociale,” with an extension at the Sollicciano prison in Florence, where prisoners are now learning to produce olive oil, known as Olio degli Incontri. After successfully implementing a winemaking program at the penitentiary island of Gorgona in 2012, the Frescobaldis started looking for ways to grow and strengthen the initiative. Under the guidance of agronomists from Frescobaldi, prisoners at Sollicciano have produced 300 250mL bottles for the inaugural vintage, retailing for 19 euros per bottle. Created by one of Italy’s oldest noble families, the Frescobaldis, these initiatives focus on rehabilitating prisoners by teaching skills in agricultural production.

Lamberto Frescobaldi, president of Frescobaldi Toscana comments, “Our goal is to give these prisoners the skills necessary to reintegrate themselves into the work force and society. Our hope is that this model grows beyond our Tuscan-based programs to become a best practice for penitentiary systems around the world.” He adds, “The evolution of the ‘Frescobaldi per il Sociale’ philanthropic efforts fills our hearts with pride and hope because it is a tangible sign that the public and private sectors can successfully work together for the common good.”

Frescobaldi’s Gorgona project provides prisoners with an opportunity to learn winemaking. Using these viticulture skills, each year prisoners produce a limited production wine, made from Vermentino and Ansonica grapes. At Sollicciano, in collaboration with agronomists from Frescobaldi Toscana, prisoners tend to and cultivate the olive groves located within the prison grounds. Once harvested, the olives are crushed at Frescobaldi’s Castello di Nipozzano estate, located outside of Florence. Olio degli Incontri is bottled and embellished with a special label designed by Tuscany’s Doni & Associati, the same designers of Gorgona’s label. Olio degli Incontri is named after the garden, built by Giovanni Michelucci, where meetings between prisoners and their families are hosted. Recently, 200 additional olive trees were planted in the prison garden to provide fruit for subsequent harvests, in order to ensure a long-lasting program at Sollicciano.

A portion of the inaugural olive oil vintage was divided between the prison, the Pope, the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, and the Italian Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi. The remaining bottles are available for purchase by emailing clienti.italia(at)frescobaldi(dot)it.

About Frescobaldi Per Il Sociale
Due to the current economic crisis in Italy, Lamberto Frescobaldi recognized that there was a growing challenge for recently released inmates to find work. In order to reduce rates of recidivism, Frescobaldi founded “Frescobaldi per Gorgona” in 2012 to help build tangible work skills among prison populations, preparing former inmates for re-entry into society and the workforce once released. Since its inception, Frescobaldi Toscana has invested over $100,000 annually in the program, with over 50% of the investment dedicated to developing the prisoners’ winemaking skills. Most recently, to include other prison reform projects, Lamberto Frescobaldi changed the name to “Frescobaldi per il Sociale.” Frescobaldi Toscana started the Sollicciano program in a Florentine prison, teaching inmates how to produce olive oil. Both programs are examples of how the public and private systems can work together to create a positive model that other Italian prisons can replicate. Further, both programs incorporate the important winemaking and culinary traditions of Italy.

About Frescobaldi Toscana – http://www.frescobaldi.itFrescobaldi Toscana, the leading wine producer of Tuscany and one of the most historic and respected wine companies in the world, combines centuries of tradition with progressive winemaking techniques and practices. Founded in the 14th century and a supplier of wines to the royal courts of Europe for generations, Marchesi de' Frescobaldi group is still a family-owned company today and produces wines utilizing only the grapes grown in its own vineyards. The company continually upgrades and modernizes its grape growing and winemaking operations, maintaining a relentless focus on producing unique wines that express the individuality of each unique terroir from which they are produced.